Signal-display.



E. COLE.

SIGNAL DiSPLAY.

APPLICATION man JAN 11. m1.

1 74,007. w Patented July 30, 1918.

"LN THAN COLE; 035 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

smnAL-msrLAY.

Specification 01 Letters Patent.

Patented July 30, 1918.

Application filed January 17, 1917. Serial No. 143,191.

1 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELN'ArHAN Colin, a citizen of the United States; residing at: Los Angel.es,'in the county of nos Angelcs and State of California. have invented a new and useful Signal-Display, of which the following is a specification,

My invention relates to signal displays, and is more particular] a. display for auto mobiles and the like by means of which the driver may indi ate to the following truths! the direction about to be taken by the mo chino upon which the display is mounted;

One f the main objects of my invention is to produce a display of the character described of ('Ompmi' form. and of simple con-- struction and operation, it being another object of my in mention to produce a. device of the class described in Whielnthe ordinary tail light, the number plntc, and signal dis plays, are combined in one comptsct device.

Referring to the drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only:

Figure 1 is n diugrnimnatic rear View of an 2'! utomobi lei showing at signal display thereon embodying :1 form o? my invention Fig. 2 is on cularggozl imu: view of the, sig

nul display Fig. i l u rrtirril r-tliiuliztl low of the signal it 5: shown in Fig.

Fig". li; lo elevat on of the some Fig. I n1 mint-grit si-"i intl lieu nh' n on line 5 r: Fig. '3

hi 6 is a. face view of the controlling de vice for the signal display.

In the form of my invention shown. the device consists of it that ease 10 having: a Front Wall 11 and a rear well 12 spnccrlnpurt; therefrom. the front Wall 11 terminating: at its edges in rearwardly extending Walls 13, and the rear Wall 12 terminating at its edges in forwardly extending Walls 14, the walls 13 and 14 abutting agninst each other. thercby forming s de. top. and bottom Walls for the case 10. Th: Walls 25% are cut away on each side oi. the (use, as indicated it 15, to form slots .16 in the side Walls of the ease through which are operated display arms 17 and 18. The rear wall 12 is provided with two circular openings 19 and 20. the edge of the wall 12 around such openings tcrmt noting in forwardly extending circular flanges 21 and 22, the faces of which are finihed to lorm seats adapted to he slidl-ly engaged by extensions 23 and 24: formed on thearms 17 and 18 respectively. The

openings 19 and 20 are directly bemnu s1m1- .lztr openings 25 and 26 respectively formed in the front wall 11 of the case, such openings 25 end 26 having secured therein lass plates 27 and 28, respectively such -p ates being secured therein in any well known numnen and constituting. with the illuminnting menus lu-u'einnfter described, clircction lights. The rear Wall 12 is also pro \ltlfitl with a central opening 30, the edges of the rear wall 12 about such opening terminating in n forwardly extending circular flange 31 which extends through the front wall It and llt lS attached thereto, by means 79 of SII'OWR or pins 2-32 a cylindrical box 33 in the outer end of which is mounted, in any suitable nmnner. a lens 34, preferably of red glass. constituting a tail light forthenutomobile. the illuminating source of which is an electric bulb 35 mounted in a casing 36, which casing 36 is secured in any suitable manner to the rear wall 12 of the case 10. The casing 36 is of sufiicient Width to form nv light: chamber 37, light from the bulb 35 is the openings 26 and '26,of the case.

40 designates a number plate of any common form and construction secured to the front Wall 11 of the case 10 directly below the tail light and direction lights 27 and 28. The number plate in the form shown is secured to the wall 11. by means of screws or bolts 41 which extend through the front and rear wztlls 11 and 12, thereby alsoserying to y hold the cns'e together. Similar s'drewsori bolts 42 are arranged at the top of the oa s' for the purpose of holding the top portion of the case together. The upper portion of the number plate is secured to the front wall 11 of the case by means of suitable screws 43. 44 dcsi nates an opening in the under side of the box 33. such openings having a White glass 45 mounted therein in. any su table. manner, light from the bulb 35 passing through the glass 45 to the number plate 4th hereby illuminating the when the bulb 35 is illuminated.

The arms 17 and 18 constitute manually operated display means for indicating the direction in which the automobile is about to turn, such arms 17 and 18 being pivota-lly mounted on pins 47 and48 respectively, and in the form shown the arms 17 and 18 are made in the form of hands terminating in ex ensions 23 and 2 4, which may be designated a? wrist portlons. Each arm 17 and from: which chamber 80 projected through same at night 18 has pivotally connected thereto links 49 and 50 respectively which in turn are pivot- HllY QOHHOClUI to levers 51 and 52 respectively, which levers 51 and 52 extend downwardly to a central point below the circular flange 31 of the rear wall 12 of the case where the lower ends of the levers 51 and 52 are pivotally mounted on a pin 53 mounted in any suitable manner on the rear wall of the case 10. The levers 51 and 52 are com nected by wires 54 and 55 respectively to hand levers 56 and 57 respectively mounted on a bracket 58, which, in the form shown, is mounted upon the tubular casing 59 of the post of the'stcering wheel 30, the wires 54 and 55 passing through flexible wire cables 61 which Q:\ l.('ll(l l l'()Il] the case 10 in which they are mounted in lugs (32 to the bracket 58 in which the other ends of the flexible cables are mounted in lugs 1 formed on the bracket 58.

The device is used in thr following man ner:

The arms 17 and 1% are for the purpose of giving a visible indication during day light at the direction which the machine is about to take, the display of the arm 17, as shown In Fig. 2, being an indication that the machine is about to turn to the left, and the display of the arm 18, as indicated in dot.- ied lines in Fig. 2, being an indication tl. it the machine is about to turn to theright. Assuming that the machine is about to turn to the left. the operator pushes the lever 56 downwardly, which ex. us a pull on the wire 54. This depresses the lover Til and through the medium of the link 9 swings the arm 17 from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the po sition shown in Fig. 2. in which position the arm 17 remains until the turn has been made by the machine and the hand lever 56 returned to normal position, at which time the arm 17 will return to the position shown in Fig. 3. If it' is desired to turn to the rig'ht, the arm 18 is operated through the medium of the hand lever 57 in the same manner as that heretofore described in relation to the operation of turmng to the left.

At night, when the tail light 34 is illuminaiibd, by means of the bulb 35, the direction lights, that is lights 27 and 28, which maybe of green or any desired color, are dark, due to the fact that the Wrist portions 23 and 24 of the arms 17 and 18 are over and close the openings 19 and 20 respectively, the wrist portions being adapted to seat on the circular flanges 21 and 22 heretofore referred to. This is the condition of the display when the'tail lightis illuminated and the machine is traveling in a straight direction. If the machine is about to turn'to the left, the hand lever 56 would be operatcd as heretofore described, the arm 17 would be thrown into the position shown in Fig. 2, and the wrist extension 23 of the arm 17 would move downwardly, thereby exposing the 0 )ening 19 through which light iroin the light chamber 37 would pass through the side or direction light 27, there-- by indicating by a colored light to the left of the tail light that the machine is about to turn to the left. After such turn has been made, the return of the hand lever 56 to normal position would bring the arm 17 into the position shown in Fig. 3, the extension 23 or wrist portion of the arm 17 closing the opening 19 and thereby concealing the direction of the light 27. The turnin of.the machine to the right would be ind1- cated in the same manner as that described with reference-to indicating a turn to the left, by the operation of the hand lever 57 heretofore described. If the machine is about to stop, both hand levers 56 and 57 may be operated, in whi'ehcase both arms 17 and 18 would move into the display position, and both direction lights, should it he at night, would be displayed on each side 0| the tail light 34.

I claim as my invention 1. A signal display comprising a case, direction lights in said case, a display arm for each direction light pivotally mounted in said case, an extension formed on each arm, and means for operating either of said arms to display the arm and move the extension thereon to disclose its associated light.

Q. A signal display comprising a case/having an opening in each side thereof, a tail light in said case, said case having a direction light opening at each side of the tail light. a display arm pivotally mounted in said case for each direction light opening, a lever for each arm, a link'for each lever pivotally connecting one end of the lever to its associated arm, and means for independently operating either of said levers to move its associated arm through its associated opening in the side of the case and simultaneously therewith uncover its associated direction light opening.

3. A display device comprising a case formed of front and rear walls, said rear wall having a tail light opening and direction light openings formed therein, a casing secured to said rear wall spaced apart therefrom and extending over said respective openings, a lamp mounted on said casing in the tail light opening of said case, a circular flange formed on the rear wall of said case about the tail light openingtherein and.ex-

ing pivotally mounted in the case, means for operating either of said arms to display said arm, an extension on each of said arms adapted to close its respective opening in the rear wall of the case, means for operating either of said arms todisplay the arm and uncover its respective direction light opening in the rear wall of the case, and a number plate on said case below the opening in said box.

4. A signal display comprising a case having an opening in each side thereof a tail light centrally disposed in said case, a direction light opening in said case at each side of the tail light a display arm pivotally mounted in said ease for each ilireciion light opening; means for directing the light from the tail light through the direction light openings. an extension, on each of said arms extending over its'assoeiated direction light openin and means for independently operating eit er of said arms to display the operated arm and unoover its associated light opening.

A signal display comprising a case having a tail light opening-and a direction ligh opening at each side of the tail light open ing, a single source of illun'iination in said case for said openings, a display arm covering each direction light opening to prevent the passage of light through its associated opening and operating means whereby either of said arms may he moved to uncover its associated direction light opening and extend a portion of the arm beyond the case.

in testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 2nd. (lav of January, 1917.

ELNATHAN COLE, 

